[Takakai, why aren't you answering?]
The voices outside continued relentlessly.
As if the previous silence had been an illusion—as if the deathly stillness after the footsteps had never existed at all.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The rapping persisted.
Inside, the three stood frozen in silence.
What was happening?
After the voices outside had fallen silent earlier, though none of them voiced it aloud, all three—Takakai, Kaguya, and Maki—had assumed the worst. Discovering the frozen corpse in the fridge had only confirmed their fears.
Yet now, the voices had returned.
Why now?
After such prolonged silence, why suddenly resume as if nothing had happened? Was it all a misunderstanding? Had no one died, and had the footsteps merely masked the others' presence?
[Come on, nothing's happening out here. Stop hiding.]
[Yeah, we've been knocking forever. You've ignored us since you went inside. What's going on?]
[This is ridiculous. Nothing's wrong. Just open up.]
The voices overlapped, punctuated by the steady, unchanging rhythm of knocking.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Should they respond?
No.
The thought surfaced and was immediately dismissed. Too much was off.
If it were truly safe outside, where were the white giant and Old Guo? The latter, especially, had been eager to take charge earlier. His silence now was glaring.
Yet only the three who'd remained in the hallway—the overweight executive, the Black man, and the blonde woman—were speaking.
[Old Guo won't answer either. Neither will the foreigner. We had no choice but to come to you.]
[Seriously, just open the door. At least say something! What's the point of standing out here silent?]
[It's fine, really. We're all neighbors. Can't we talk this out?]
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The knocking grew louder, more insistent—fists now pounding rather than rapping.
Something was wrong.
Takakai rubbed his temples, his thoughts sluggish. An urge to respond tugged at him, but instinct kept his lips sealed.
He couldn't pinpoint why, but every fiber of his being screamed:
Don't engage.
[What's the problem? You've seen us before.]
Sun Dajun's voice dripped with impatience.
What exactly feels off?
Takakai turned the question over in his mind.
[You're just being racist, aren't you?]
The Black man's flawless Mandarin carried a sharp edge.
Yet Takakai's unease only grew.
[Please, just come out. Open the door. We're not dangerous.]
The blonde's Japanese was pleading, her words synced with heavier thuds against the door.
Why do they keep insisting they're harmless?
The question burned in Takakai's mind.
[Because we are harmless.]
Then why only harass us? Why not the other two?
[We tried. They won't answer. What else can we do?]
Then I won't either.
[Why? What's the harm in talking? Just open up.]
Talking? We're strangers. What's there to discuss?
[We're neighbors! Neighbors should get along. Everyone says so—ask around if you don't believe us.]
I don't want to engage. Leave.
[Don't be like this. We're all in this together. Open the door.]
I said no.
[Open the door. Open the door. Open the door.]
I told you I don't want to—
Wait.
A jolt of clarity cut through the mental fog.
Engage?
I haven't spoken a single word out loud.
These things were responding to his thoughts.
His blood ran cold.
Whatever was outside wasn't just knocking—it was inside their heads.
He whirled toward the girls. Maki stood rigid, while Kaguya had taken an unconscious step forward. Both wore expressions of conflicted concentration, as if locked in silent debate.
[Open the door. Open the door.]
Thud—Thud—Thud—
The pounding escalated, each impact shaking the floor.
Smack!
Takakai gripped their shoulders, snapping them back to awareness. Their eyes widened as they realized they'd been drifting toward the entrance.
[Open the door.]
BOOM!
A deafening crash rattled the apartment.
Takakai stumbled back, nearly tripping over his own feet.
[Open the door.]
BOOM!!
The second strike hit like an earthquake.
The floor bucked violently. Takakai went down hard, while Maki barely caught herself against the wall. Kaguya, steady as a rock, hauled Maki backward, the wall clock still clutched in her free hand.
[Open the door.]
BOOM—!!!
The third impact sent all three sprawling.
[Open the door.]
[Open the door.]
[Open the door.]
The voices merged into a soulless chant.
The door trembled violently, its frame splintering. The reinforced steel bulged inward unnaturally.
OPEN THE DOOR!
Three voices shrieked as one, fists hammering in unison.
OPEN THE DOOR!!
Metal groaned. Hinges screamed.
Takakai dragged himself up, pulling Maki with him as they retreated.
Kaguya crouched low, bracing for the next quake—
—when a new sound froze them mid-step.
Thud.
[Open the door.]
The command came again.
But this time, it didn't come from the entrance.
It came from behind them.
From the living room door.
Crack—Crack—
The flimsy wooden panel bowed under an unseen force.
[Open the door.]
The chorus of voices now echoed from inside the apartment.
From all sides.